By Gail Farrell, Frank Bauch, Stephanie Look and Caitlin Cassady
Public relations professionals work closely with their clients and the press on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes having a background in some form of journalism helps give PR an interesting point of view....
Photo attributed to Journalism Guru
I got my first job at Business Week and Electronics because “You write good English, and you’re sane.” (The previous incumbent had lacked in both departments.) I learned a lot, eventually becoming Boston bureau chief of Electronics, but I wasn’t satisfied. I could write about anything but knew nothing in depth. Becoming a hi-tech PR account executive, and later a PR writer, let me focus on only a few clients. Thanks to my background, I know what makes a good story, I’ll tackle any topic, and I still ruthlessly edit everything for quality. And I’m still (I think) sane! - Gail Farrell, Writing Director
I think working in broadcast news has given me perspective on just how busy the life of a journalist can be...
...I've been in the news room and seen the big stack of press releases that never get touched. As a broadcast journalist, I learned to be straight to the point with my questions, to be succinct in my script writing, and to always double check my work for accuracy. As a PR professional, I know that if I fail to be direct, succinct, and accurate, I won’t even get a second glance from our important targets in the media. – Frank Bauch, Account Coordinator
As a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, I thought I would instantly be writing groundbreaking stories that would change people’s lives. Instead, I began my tenure as a journalist writing about car crashes, fires, and shootings for a local breaking news wire in the Bay Area. While I chose not to pursue journalism indefinitely, those two years taught me invaluable lessons about the media field as a whole. Journalists and PR professionals have a give-and-take relationship, and simply being cognizant of a reporter’s time constraints has given me an edge in their eyes and helped me get coverage for a client. – Caitlin Cassady, Intern
Out of the many lessons I learned during my time at a local news stations, the one I’ve found myself applying in PR on a daily basis is the importance of knowing your audience. In broadcast, this affects the focus and tone of the story. In PR, knowing your audience helps you meet reporter and client needs. Consistently following reporter’s coverage and being familiar with industry trends helps determine which resources make or break a story. Whether it's pitching the press or providing the client with strategic recommendations, understanding who your audience is and what motivates them can help put any daily PR task into perspective. – Stephanie Look, Account Executive
PR people with a background in journalism can help their clients because they understand how publications and journalists operate. They know how important a short, news-oriented pitch is; how to match a story to the right publication; how important it is to cultivate relationships with journalists. Plus, they have a strong grasp of how to present the news. In short, because they know from experience what journalists are looking for, and they can help their clients get good coverage.
Knowing your audience is definitely key. As a former freelance writer turned PR pro myself, I know how important it is to target your pitches - even if that means spending an extra 15-20min doing research.
Posted by: Termeh Mazhari | May 08, 2009 at 08:16 AM